Fire-raising Incidents

In recent weeks there have been two fire-raising incidents in and around the village hall. The first involved the contents of a bin outside the hall being set alight on the evening of 5th November. At the time it was not clear whether this was deliberate or accidental.

On Wednesday evening (25th November) at approximately 5.45pm a fire was deliberately started in the bin in the gents toilet inside the hall. At the time the hall was occupied by a drama class involving 15  six to eight year old children and their two teachers. The fire generated significant smoke and resulted in the fire alarm activating and the hall being evacuated. Although the evacuation was undertaken quickly and efficiently both the children and their teachers were understandably distressed.

The police attended the incident. They gathered evidence and took statements. They will now undertake further enquiries in an effort to identify the person or persons responsible. If you have any information that may assist them in their enquiries please contact the police.

In an effort to prevent any further criminal incidents the installation of surveillance cameras will be considered.

Update from Gary McGregor,  Chair of Garvald Village Hall Trust

With lockdown gradually easing I thought I’d provide an update on Garvald village hall as it remains an integral part of our community.

As with so many other aspects of our lives, Covid – 19 has had a significant impact. The usual hall activities and bookings ceased for 5 months and even now are only recommencing in a limited way.

I’m pleased to advise that the Post Office has re-started its Thursday morning service with appropriate Covid precautions in place. The drama classes for children will begin again soon with the teacher ensuring the necessary safeguards are observed.

Notwithstanding the ongoing constraints that Covid imposes, the hall is available for use where the necessary Covid guidelines can be adhered to. We will ensure that thorough cleaning is undertaken as required.

Unfortunately, the budget that the committee set for 2020 has understandably been badly impacted. The major downside is that the income we had planned to generate from wedding bookings has not materialised as the bookings we had have all cancelled. However, it is hoped that they will re-book for 2021. Meanwhile some necessary expenditure has continued. The end result is that compared to 2019, upon which we based our 2020 budget, we are £4,000 down. In short, we have run at a loss and are now using the contingency funds that we have built up over the past few years. We can do so for some time but it is not sustainable long term.

Whilst we await the resumption of income generating activities the committee are exploring other sources of finance and fundraising. A date for your diary is 3pm Sunday 13^th September when we plan to hold a socially distanced FUNdraising Quiz in the park. Watch out for the posters that will go up soon.

These are challenging times for all. But one positive aspect of Covid is that it has highlighted how lucky we are to live in such a caring and close-knit community. Let’s ensure that the village hall remains at the heart of who we are and what we do together.

Hope to see you 13^th September.